Past, present, and future all under one rickety roof.
There’s a kind of magic to an old building, an imprint left by those who lived and worked and played there. The more people, the stronger the feelings, the older the tradition, the deeper the imprint. They infuse a place, sink into its walls and floorboards, fill it humming with fragments of lives and memories. I’ve felt it on the stage of a theatre, in the spire of a church, down the hallways of a prison, and from the rafters of a fieldhouse. Places that aren’t just historical, but seem to be composed of History itself.
The Josei Next Door 
Legit question – is Matsuda actually 80 years old, or is that an approximation? Because seriously, I swear that man’s been 80 since halfway through season one.
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No kidding! It’s an approximation, but I think it’s a pretty accurate one. When Yotaro became a shun’ichi and Yakumo was visiting the old master’s grave (S1E13), he asks Matsuda how old he is and Matsuda says he’s 72. It’s been about 7 years since then, so while he might not be 80 on the dot, he’s gotta be right around there now.
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Good point, I’d forgotten about that little scene. Well, huzzah for tiny old men that just refuse to die, I guess. In many ways, Matsuda probably knows the rakugo family better than anyone. Three generations of masters on (at least!) and he’s still alive and kicking.
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